A group of travellers from the Republic of Cyprus has successfully climbed the northern summit of Mount Aragats (4,090 metres), Armenia’s highest peak and one of the country’s most important national symbols.

Expedition members Alexander Larin and Mikhail Omelchuk raised the flag of the Republic of Cyprus on the summit, took photographs and, as a symbol of friendship between the two countries, left stones brought from Cyprus bearing the inscription: “Cyprus-Armenian expedition to Mount Aragats. July 2026.”

“Unfortunately, this year Mount Aragats was covered with an unusually large amount of snow. Because of the snowdrifts, it was impossible to reach the cross, and the summit was completely covered by dense fog,” one of the expedition members said.

A separate two-member team successfully climbed the southern summit of Mount Aragats (3,879 metres). One of the expedition’s notable achievements was the ascent of 13-year-old Peresvet Larin, who became the youngest resident of Cyprus to reach a peak higher than 3,879 metres.

The expedition has become one of the symbols of the strong historical ties between Cyprus and Armenia. President of the Republic of Cyprus Nikos Christodoulides has repeatedly highlighted the special nature of relations between the two countries, noting that the Armenian community is an integral part of Cypriot society and has made a significant contribution to the island’s cultural, social and economic life.

 The participants said the ascent was dedicated to strengthening friendship between the peoples of Cyprus and Armenia, promoting tourism between the two countries, and encouraging mountaineering and healthy lifestyles among young people. According to the participants, such international initiatives help preserve humanitarian ties and promote sports and ecotourism, while creating new opportunities for cooperation between Cyprus and Armenia in sports, tourism, culture and youth exchanges.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan held a phone conversation with State Secretary of the Swedish Ministry for Foreign Affairs Dag Hartelius.

According to Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Hartelius congratulated the deputy foreign minister on the successful conduct of Armenia’s parliamentary elections in line with high democratic standards, as well as on the election victory.

The interlocutors expressed satisfaction with the intensification of political dialogue between Armenia and Sweden, voicing confidence that it would provide fresh impetus to strengthening bilateral trade and economic ties and expanding cooperation across various fields.

They also exchanged views on the strategic agenda of the Armenia-European Union partnership, discussing steps aimed at expanding Armenia’s access to the European market, as well as initiatives to enhance regional connectivity.

Armenian Deputy Foreign Minister Vahan Kostanyan, who is on a working visit to Beirut, met with Lebanese Minister of Foreign Affairs and Emigrants Youssef Raji on July 7.

According to Armenia’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the deputy foreign minister, referring to the warm and friendly relations between the two countries, reaffirmed the Armenian government’s readiness to continue supporting Lebanon, including in addressing humanitarian challenges.

During the meeting, the interlocutors discussed the intensification of political dialogue between the two countries, cooperation between their foreign ministries, as well as prospects for further engagement within international organisations and multilateral platforms. 

They also exchanged views on developments in the South Caucasus and the Middle East. In this context, the importance of continuing discussions between the two countries at the highest level was underscored.

Yerevan Zoo has confirmed reports that one of the lions transferred from the residence of businessman and Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan did not recover after being sedated. The zoo said this in a statement.

“With deep regret, we can confirm that the female lion transferred to the zoo the previous day did not recover from sedation due to her advanced age and underlying medical conditions, as confirmed by the post-mortem examination. The animal’s organ systems had been affected: the spleen, liver, lungs and heart showed pathological changes; there were signs of cholecystitis in the gallbladder, obesity, and free fluid in the abdominal cavity, all of which were the result of age-related changes,” the statement said. 

On July 6, law enforcement officers carried out searches at Tsarukyan’s residence and around 70 properties linked to him. As part of the searches, the animals kept at his reception residence — three lions and one tiger — were sedated and transferred to Yerevan Zoo.

The circumstances surrounding the death of a lion transferred from the residence of businessman and Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan to Yerevan Zoo after failing to recover from sedation will be examined by Armenia’s Investigative Committee.

 The Investigative Committee confirmed the information.

“The circumstances surrounding the female lion’s failure to recover from sedation will be examined,” the Investigative Committee said. Earlier, Yerevan Zoo confirmed reports that one of the lions transferred from Tsarukyan’s residence had not recovered after being sedated. “With deep regret, we can confirm that the female lion transferred to the zoo the previous day did not recover from sedation due to her advanced age and underlying medical conditions, as confirmed by the post-mortem examination.

The animal’s organ systems had been affected: the spleen, liver, lungs and heart showed pathological changes; there were signs of cholecystitis in the gallbladder, obesity, and free fluid in the abdominal cavity, all of which were the result of age-related changes,” the zoo said in its statement. 

On July 6, law enforcement officers carried out searches at Tsarukyan’s residence and around 70 properties linked to him. As part of the searches, the animals kept at his reception residence — three lions and one tiger — were sedated and transferred to Yerevan Zoo.

Businessman and Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan has been placed in pre-trial detention for two months.

The information was confirmed by Armenia’s Investigative Committee. Tsarukyan has been charged with fraud and money laundering.

On July 6, Tsarukyan was detained and taken to the Investigative Committee. He was later transferred from the committee to court. 

The Investigative Committee had earlier said that, as part of the criminal proceedings, simultaneous searches were carried out at more than 70 locations in cooperation with the National Security Service, the State Revenue Committee and the Ministry of Internal Affairs’ Police.

Another person has been remanded in custody and one more has been detained as part of the criminal proceedings involving businessman and Prosperous Armenia Party leader Gagik Tsarukyan.

The information was confirmed by Armenia’s Investigative Committee. Tsarukyan has been charged with particularly large-scale fraud and money laundering. He was detained on July 6, and on July 7 a court ordered his pre-trial detention for two months.

The Investigative Committee said on July 6 that, in addition to Tsarukyan, another individual had been detained in the same criminal case, while a detention order had been issued for one more suspect. The person detained alongside Tsarukyan was remanded in custody on July 7, while the suspect who had been the subject of the detention order was later located and detained.

Sargis Khandanyan, Chair of the Standing Committee on Foreign Relations of the Armenian National Assembly and head of the Armenian delegation to the Parliamentary Assembly of the Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE PA), has been re-elected Chair of the OSCE PA Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions.

The Armenian National Assembly announced the re-election in a statement. Following his re-election, Khandanyan said: 

“It has been a great honour to serve as Chair of the General Committee on Democracy, Human Rights and Humanitarian Questions over the past year. I am grateful for your confidence and for the opportunity to work closely with colleagues from across the OSCE region in promoting our shared values. 

During this period, our committee has remained focused on the most pressing challenges facing our societies, from protecting democratic institutions and human rights to addressing the humanitarian crises caused by conflicts and instability.

I have sought to lead our work with a strong commitment to impartiality, dialogue and cooperation.” 

The OSCE Parliamentary Assembly’s annual session is taking place in The Hague from July 4 to 8.

The first direct seasonal charter flight between Burgas, Bulgaria, and Yerevan, Armenia, was successfully operated today, the Armenian Embassy in Bulgaria reported.

The inaugural flight, operated by Bulgaria Air, departed from Burgas this morning and arrived in Yerevan, marking the launch of a new seasonal connection between the two cities.

The route will operate once a week, every Tuesday, until the end of August, providing travellers with a direct connection between Bulgaria’s Black Sea coast and the Armenian capital during the summer season.

The new charter service is expected to strengthen tourism, encourage cultural exchange, and create new opportunities for cooperation between Bulgaria and Armenia. The direct route is also expected to facilitate travel between the two countries during the summer season.

The organisers expressed their gratitude to all partners, airport authorities, tour operators and the teams whose efforts made the launch of the new route possible. They also thanked the passengers who travelled on the inaugural flight.